Our
Neighbors
Good
morning, afternoon or evening depending on the time zone.
A
few weeks ago I ran into one of my neighbors Kevin. We were
discussing then normal issues, weather, taxes, political guffaws and
the sort. I could tell Kevin had something more important on his
mind, but since I didn't know what it was, we continued with the
small talk. We moved on to work related items. He was currently
unemployed. He was an OTR. For those who don't know, that's an over
the road trucker. Work had been a little slow and he was tired of
watching yell and white lines dance in front of the windshield. He
had applied for a couple of local jobs at the Opera and sound
studios. See, Kevin is an artist at heart. He spent years working on
his music and running sound gigs. As he describe some of his past
gigs I quietly interrupted. "Hey Kevin, why don't you write a
book." His look was of confusion. "Where would I start?
What do I write? Who would read it?" I think at one time or the
other we've all asked the same questions. My answer. "At the
beginning. Start at the beginning." He assured me if he got
serious about it, he'd give he a shout for direction and motivation.
Yesterday
I ran into Kevin again. Asked him if he'd heard back from the Opera
or sound stage. Said he hadn't heard a word, but his fingers were
still crossed. Then he hit me with, "Guess what? I took your
advice, sat down last night and started writing. I was only going to
spend about thirty minutes. Instead I found out I had been hammering
on the keyboard for over two-and-half hours. I was shocked." The
only advice I gave him was since it's an autobiography of his tales
on the road and the shows he worked, be honest. Don't make yourself
look like the good guy all time. If you do, readers will question the
sincerity and depth of the author. He agreed and scurried back to his
house.
Let
me tell you something, that gave me a great feeling. Will I make any
money of of this? No. Will I be credited with a blooming career? No.
I will have the satisfaction of knowing I helped a neighbor in a
small way launch a new career. I reflected back to the days I was
coaching baseball. I never worried about the win loss record. I
concentrated on the boys/girls learning how to properly play the
game. If I knew they learned the fundamentals, the W's would follow
them through life. I got the same feeling with Kevin.
I
will help him and answer any and all questions he may have as he
ventures into this new and exciting arena. Isn't that what neighbors
are for?
